Childhood stories are again revisited in more graphic, adult form in the second volume of Zenescope's ongoing series, Grimm Fairy Tales 2.

The format here is largely the same as the first book: the details of a crisis are established in a contemporary setting and, just before the crux of the matter comes to a head, ageless and nubile literature professor Sela Mathers -- or, in at least one case, high school biology teacher Sela Mathers -- appears with an ornate book of fairy tales. One of the people involved in the crisis reads a pertinent yarn -- often a more violent, gruesome and slightly sexed-up version, mind you -- in time to impart a valuable life lesson before it's too late.

But, while in the first collection of stories, Mathers' intervention was enough to turn the tide and send the imperiled person off on a healther track, the folks this time around make bad choices ... or have the choice taken out of their hands. In what is, I think, an unwise direction for the book, elements from the fairy tales now manifest in modern times to wreak havoc.

So, for instance, the wicked woman jealous of her stepdaughter's cheerleading prowess is now torn apart by feral dwarves, and the golden-haired intruder is attacked by bears. This new plot device, to me, spoils the whole purpose of the tales; while there were indeed dwarves and bears in the original fables, their appearance in these modern settings makes absolutely no sense.

Stories included this time around are "Snow White & the Seven Dwarves," "Goldilocks," "Jack & the Beanstalk," "The Frog King," "The Pied Piper" and "Bluebeard." A final chapter in this collection introduces a new and mysterious character, a woman who will undoubtedly play a larger role in the future -- whether for good or ill, it's too soon to say.

The storytelling is solid, and the art is very good, in a graphic, balloon-sized breasts kind of way. While I dislike the decision to bring vigilante dwarves to life in modern times, this was still an enjoyable reading experience.